It’s snowing in the northeast, but the forecast is sunny for Natchez. And as those &uot;snowbirds&uot; head South for a winter vacation, local tourism officials hope to lure them to Natchez.

John Duchkar, marketing manager at Lady Luck Hotel, believes it’s all about selling the Natchez experience.

Duchkar and other city officials are working to incorporate the annual snowbird market into the Natchez tourism scene.

The snowbird market, the annual winter &uot;flight&uot; of northern residents for short stays in the warmer south, is as yet an untapped market for Natchez, Duchkar said.

Usually the snowbirds arrive in the South in January, spurring the tourism industry in the warmer gulf states. Often the snowbirds come at the same time each year to the same hotel for reunions with friends, Duchkar said.

&uot;Natchez does not realize any of that business,&uot; he said.

To change that, Duchkar and other Natchezians traveled to Florida last week for the Snowbird Extravaganza trade show in Tampa. About 80,000 people attended, he said.

The purpose of such shows is to provide snowbirds all the information they need on Southern travel spots.

&uot;We sell Natchez,&uot; Duchkar said. &uot;Natchez is a pretty easy sell.&uot;

They will sell Natchez’s history, the antebellum houses and its golf courses, Duncan Park Golf and Beau Pr\u00E9 Country Club, he said.

Walter Tipton, director of tourism for the City of Natchez, agreed that golf is the biggest draw Natchez has for the snowbird market.

&uot;What we’re trying to do is get Duncan Park and Beau Pr\u00E9 to sign get with a hotel and do packages,&uot; Tipton said.&160;&uot;That’s what these people want — they want an itinerary already planned.&uot;

Marvin Gray, director of the Duncan Park Golf Course, said tapping the snowbird is not just a Natchez concern.

&uot;This is a big push not only on the local level but on the state level,&uot;&160;Gray said. &uot;Presently we are not doing as good a job as we need to to attract these people.&uot;

Golf courses are a big draw to the snowbirds, he added.

&uot;The golf just really ties in positively in bringing people to Natchez,&uot; he said.

Lady Luck already offers golf and antebellum house packages for its guests, and Natchez is working hard to reach these people.

For example, Beau Pr\u00E9 has been advertising on television, in &uot;Tee to Green&uot; magazine and has a section of its Internet page dedicated to snowbirds, said Mark Powell of Beau Pr\u00E9.

And the Natchez Tourism Management office has advertised bed and breakfast packages in the Chicago Tribune.

Snowbird travelers often migrate from Memphis to the gulf coast and sometimes on to Gulfshores, Ala.

The hope is that snowbird golfers will add Natchez to this chain.

&uot;As we get golfers, everyone benefits,&uot; Powell said.

Duchkar said Natchez needs to encourage snowbirds to take an hour drive off the interstate to visit.

&uot;I think it just a matter of letting them know we’re here,&uot; Duchkar said.

Tipton said the city is working this year and next just to get in the door of the snowbird market.

He expects to see real results from the snowbird marketing effort within three years.

But once the snowbirds visit, there’s another group in town hoping they’ll stay even longer.

Roy Winkworth, chairman of volunteers for Natchez Retiree Partnership, said his group takes a different approach to retirees traveling South.

&uot;Our focus is to try to get them to permanently relocate here,&uot;&160;Winkworth said.

&uot;Basically our effort at this point (is to) not let these people become snowbirds but Natchezians,&uot; Winkworth said.